Transfer applying machine for conical surfaced bottles



June 30, 1964 c. A. FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21.1961 7 Sheets-Sheet l INV EN TOR.

6a?! .12 jlaad c. A. FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES June 30, 1964 7Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1961 NEW June 30, 1964 c. A. FLOOD3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21,1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 c. A. FLOOD 3,139,363

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES June 30, 1964 '7Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 21, 1961 C. A. FLOOD June 30, 1964 TRANSFERAPPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledJune 21, 1961 June 30, 1964 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES C. A. FLOOD 7Sheets-Sheet 6 I Filed June 21, 1961 June 30, 1964 c, FLOOD 3,139,368

TRANSFER APPLYING MACHINE FOR CONICAL SURFACED BOTTLES Filed June 21,1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 United States Patent 3,139,368 TRANSFER APPLYINGMACHDIE FUR CONICAL SURFACED BUTTLES Carl A. Flood, Framingham, Mass,assigns): to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass, acorporation of Massachusetts Filed June 21, 1961, Ser. No. 118,625 8Claims. (Cl. 156-475) This invention provides machines for transferringlabels, by which is included decorative designs, from a continuouslabel-carrying strip onto tapered surface portions of articles, forinstance bottles. The invention preferably makes use of some of thefeatures of my prior United States patent applications Serial Nos.729,216, filed April 17, 1958, now Patent No. 2,981,432, and 1,376,filed January 8, 1960, now Patent No. 3,064,714. The inven tion may uselabel-carrying strips made according to the United States patent ofRidgley G. Shepherd, Ir., No. 2,862,832, granted December 2, 1958.

Bottles having one or more tapered surface portions are desirable for anumber of reasons. For example a bottle which tapers from a large baseto a small top is more stable against tipping than is a substantiallywholly cylindrical bottle of the same height and capacity. With somebottles a taper may be desirable in providing a portion that is moreconvenient to hold than some larger portion of the bottle, or that willless obscure the top opening when the bottle is turned over in pouringout its contents.

Although the principles of labeling of bottles by heat transfer oflabels from a traveling continuous label carrier strip onto a movingsurface of a bottle are known from the above disclosures and theseprinciples are extensively practiced, so far as I am aware prior to thepresent invention there has been no machine capable of effecting thistype of transfer onto a tapered surface portion of the bottle.

Heat transfer labeling differs in certain requirements from the moreconventional labeling which is typified by causing a cut sheet, of paperor the like, referred to as a label, to adhere to the bottle as by acoating of adhesive. In heat transfer labeling, as in my above priorapplications, the thing referred to as a label is essentially an inkimage which itself adheres to the bottle, whereas the. paper strip whichhas carried'this image is peeled away practically instantaneously withthe adhesion of the ink to the bottle. If not peeled away soon enough inleaving the bottle surface the strip would take parts of the ink imagewith it. If a given spot of the ink image does not, during the transfer,ride with thebottle surface at the same speed and in the same directionas a corresponding underlying spot on the bottle surface which isreceiving this spot of the image, the image will be blurred or fail toadhere.

For heat transfer labeling of tapered surfaces there is the addedcomplication that the label (image to be transferred) must be adevelopment of the tapered surface in which the label will lie when onthe bottle, yet the strip carrying this developed surface cannot besimply Wrapped around the corresponding tapered surface of the bottlebecause of the criticalpeeling-a'wayrequirement of heat transferlabeling. Each spot on the image must conform in speed and directionwith a corresponding spot on the tapered bottle surface, these speedsand directions will be different for the parts of the label destinedfor'every different height level of the tapered surface.

Thus considering a bottle whose surface to be labeled is a part of acone, and assuming this bottle to be rotating on a vertical axis withits smaller part uppermost, then at the line where the image transfersfrom label strip to bottle each spot of image at this line of transfermust be traveling in a horizontal plane in contact with thecorreparallel thereto may 3,139,368 Patented June 30, 1964 "ice spondingreceiving spot on the bottle, a spot of image near the bottom of thisline of transfer must be traveling rela tively fast, and a spot of imagenear the top of the line of transfer must be traveling relativelyslowly, so as to correspond to the bottle surface speeds at theseplaces.

At the same time, the label carrier strip leaving the'line of transfermust be kept under tension, for proper peelingon of the strip from thetransferred image, and the label carrier strip must extend in acontinuous fashion back to its supply, such as a spool, so that cycleafter cycle of label application can follow in fast succession.

In the accompanying drawings,

P16. 1 is a diagrammatic view, especially showing an adjustably inclinedrelation of the main machine casing and some of the parts carriedthereby relative to a vertically upstanding turret and a generallyhorizontal bottle conveyor. Subsequent figures taken from the point ofview of a-a or lines parallel to line a-a may be referred to as planviews or horizontal sections, and subsequent figures taken from thepoint of view of line b-b or lines be referred to as front elevations orvertical sections. FIG. 11, which is taken from the point of view ofline c-c' is thus a rear elevation. This terminology is as though themain casing, for example in the course of building the machine, stoodupright as shown in FIG. 3; I

PEG. 2 is a diagram of the upper portion of the machine with some partsomitted;

FIG. 2a is a sectional view taken on the line 2a2a of FIG. 2 but to alarger scale;

FIG. 3 is a right end view of some of the parts of FIG. 2; 7

FIG.'4 is a view,partly diagrammatic, in the nature of a plan view withsome parts omitted;

FIG. 5 is a diagram in the nature of a horizontal section, showingmainly driving connections;

FIG. 6 is a view partly in the nature of a front elevation and partly inthe nature of a vertical section showing some of the driving connectionsof FIG. 5 and some of the parts driven thereby that were omitted fromFIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagram largely in vertical cross-section through the axisand the transfer position of the bottle turret and also showing themounting of the transfer iron, the main casing here being shown in itsactual tilted position of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a detail view, taken from the point of view I of line cc ofFIG. 1, omitting many parts;

FIG. 12 is a diagram in the nature of a section taken on line 12-12 ofFIG. 11;

FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 are diagrams showing successive positions of a labelcarrier strip relative to a pivot point that coincides with the commonapex of the bottle cone and transfer iron; 7

FIG. 16 is like FIG. 14 but shows the apex below the pivot point; and

FIG. 17 is like FIG. 14 but shows pivot point.

There will be first described as briefly as possible parts of themachine that are similar to those of my applications mentioned above. 1

As in the first of said appliactions and as indicated herein in FIG. 4,the machine includes a supply spool 2 and a take-up spool 3 for thelabel carrier strip S, feed sprocket wheel 12, and an oscillating slide11 carrying the apex above the in the nature of a front elevationrollers 8 and 9. Other guide rolls 7 may guide the strip between thesupply spool and sprocket wheel 12 and be tween the roller 9 of theslide and the take-up spool. The course of the strip between roll 8 androll 9 of the oscillating slide 11 differs from the course between theserollers in that prior application and will be described later.

The. applicator iron, generally designated as I, and the mounting ofthis iron, also differ, and these will be described later.

The drive of the machine is through a motor-driven shaft 42, FIG. 5,gear 49, gear 63, and shaft 64, whereupon the driving train divides.

Sprocket wheel 86 on shaft 64 drives a chain 84 and sprocket 87 fast ona shaft 83 for driving the applicator iron.

Gear 63 on shaft 64 drives gear 66 on shaft 67, shaft 67 drives gear 68which drives gear 69 on shaft '71. Gear 72 on shaft 71 drives gear 73 onshaft 74. The sprocket wheel 12 on shaft 74 establishes a constant rateof feed of the label-carrier strip as in said Patent No. 2,981,432.Sprocket wheel 76 on shaft 74 drives a chain 77 for driving the take-upspool 3 through a friction clutch, not shown but the drive shaft ofwhich is indicated as 79' in FIGS. and 6.

A cam 89 on shaft 67 controls a valve 91 for supplying air underpressure to the interior of collapsible bottles being labeled.

A cam 38 on shaft 64 engages cam followers 37 and 37' to operate a slide27, best shown in FIG. 4, which is slidable in a guide 25.

An angularly adjustable cam block 26 rotatably mounted in slide 27operates a follower 23 which reciprocates the oscillating slide 11.

A similar angularly adjustable cam block 26' operates a follower 23'which reciprocates a slide 39' connected to a rack 39 for operating thebottle turret. 7

Before leaving the slide 27, it may be noted that, unlike the machine ofthe earlier applications, the slide 27 is provided with a thirdangularly adjustable cam block 201? which operates a follower 201 whichoperates an additional slide 202 having to do with rocking a portion ofthe label carrier strip as hereinafter described.

Rack 39, operated as described in connection with FIG. 4 engages with apinion 3211 (FIG. 7) fast on a sleeve 32b which is rotatable about theturret shaft 28a. The turret per se resembles that of Serial No. 1,376more nearly than those of Serial No. 729,216. A gear 48a fast on sleeve32b carries a pawl 36a engageable with a ratchet wheel 37a fast on theturret shaft, to rotate the turret one step as the rack 39 moves awayfrom the observer in FIG. 7. As viewed in FIG. 4 these steps of theturret T are in a counterclockwise direction. For the particular bottlesunder consideration the steps are 90 steps, as determined by the teethof the wheel 37a and the setting of the cam block 26' of FIG. 4. Thebottles B are brought to the turret by a belt conveyor 17a, received byrecesses in upper and lower spiders 16a, and carried away from theturret by belt conveyor 18a. Guides 13a retain the bottles in place butleave them exposed to the action of the applicator iron I.

At the label applying station of the turret the base of the bottleslides onto a chuck 44a in which it is pressed down by a rotatable airnozzle 62a which is projected down into the top opening of the bottleand which holds the bottle inflated under air pressure during thetransfer, after which the air supply is automatically shut off and thenozzle is retracted to clear the bottle.

During the transfer the chuck 44a is rotated by a gear 47a in mesh withthe gear 48a. The extent of rotation is determined by the relative sizeof gears 48a and 47a and the setting of cam block 26 (FIG. 4). Therotation of the bottle at the label applying station is counterclockwisein FIG. 4 and takes place between successive steps of the turret.

Preferably the turret is equipped with bottleindexing 4 mechanism at onestep in advance of the label-applying station.

The applicator iron I as will be evident from FIG. 8 has its operativesurface in the form of the tapered surface of a sector of a truncatedcone, and for brevity this surface will merely be called conical. Theslanting height of this conical surface portion of the iron is a littlelonger than that part of the width of the label strip which carrieslabeling image. The are extent of the conical surface portion is such aswill very slightly exceed the arc extent of the labeling image,supposing the labeling image to be wrapped around the iron surface,although it is not so wrapped.

The are extent of the conical surface portion of the iron is also suchas will keep this conical surface portion out of operating positionduring the indexing of the turret from one position to the next. Forsome small bottles or small labels it is possible to form the iron witha plurality of circumferentially spaced active surface portions, each ofappropriate conical shape.

Whether one or more of these active conical surface portions is or areprovided, the whole imaginary cone whose surface defines the activesurface portion or portions of the iron will have its apex at a pointwhich coincides with the apex of the conical surface of the bottle.

- The axes about which the iron and bottle rotate during the transferlie in a common plane. The common apex of iron and bottle surface willlie in this common plane, as will also the line of transfer. The line oftransfer, if extended thus will pass through this common apex.

In FIG. 8 full lines show the iron and construction lines complete theupper and lower diameters of the section of imaginary cone of which theiron forms a sector. In other figures such as FIG. 7 only the section ofimaginary cone is shown. It will be understood that the tapered surfaceof the iron of FIG. 8 sweeps through the path defined by this section ofimaginary cone.

As will be evident from FIG. 7 the'bottle being labeled stands uprightwith its axis vertical, and the axis of the iron is inclined so as tomake the active surface of the iron tangent to the conical surface ofthe bottle. I

So that a standardized construction of much of the machine can be usedfor bottles of various tapers and yet the turret can stand upright, themain frame 1 of the machine is adjustably pivotally mounted at 206(FIG. 1) to a base 207 and the turret secured to the main frame througha suitably inclined wedge 208.

' The adjustment of the mounting of the iron relative to the main frame,to accommodate irons of various maximum diameters and various tapers isas follows:

A stationary slideway 210, FIGS. 2 and 9, has slidably keyed thereto aplate member 211 which is horizontally adjustable toward and fromthe-observer by a screw 214 and hand-wheel 215. The drive chain 84, FIG.5, may have sufficient slack to permit this adjustment, or if not, oneof its idler sprockets may be suitably adjustable.

A plate member 212 (FIG. 9) is slidably keyed to plate member 211 and isvertically adjustable by means of a screw 212a, bevel gears 212b, 212b,and threaded shaft 212a. Plate member 212 forms an integral part of asubframe 213 in which is mounted a cross-shaft 216. Shaft 216 serves asa pivot for a yoke 217, FIGS. 3, 7 and 9 in which is rotatably mounted ashaft 218 to which the iron I is afiixed. This yoke is adjustable aboutshaft 216 as a pivot to provide the appropriate inclination of the ironaxis and is held fixed relative to the sub-frame 213 by a pivoted bolt217a adjustably clamped to a lug 217b on the sub-frame 213.

Iron shaft 218 is driven from shaft 83 through bevel gears 220, 221,222, and spur gear 223, FIG. 2 or FIG. 9, and spur gear 224, FIGS. 3 and7. Slip rings 225 and brushes 226, FIG. 7, supply current to suitableelectrical heating units within the iron.

As indicated above, the label carrier strip is given a special motion inits travel from the roller 8 to the roller observer and the strip. In

9 of the oscillating slide 11, i.e., in its travel past the line oftransfer. Although as will appear below the motion of I the feedingsprocket wheel 12 and the motion of the oscillating slide 11 are factorsin determining the motion of the strip in this region, furthercomponents of motion are superimposed.

A rockable yoke 230 of inverted U shape as viewed in FIG. 2 and invertedL shape as viewed in FIG. 3 is pivotally mounted at 231 on a stationarystandard 232 and carries strip guides 236, 237 inclined relative to eachother as in FIG. 2. The strip guides 236, 237 lie on opposite sides ofthe common plane in which the axes of rotation of iron and bottle lie,that is, in effect the guides 236, 237 straddle the line of transfer. Arocking movement is imparted to the yoke 230 and guides 236, 237 by anarm 239 fast on the yoke and connected by a pivoted link 240 to theslide 202. It may be mentioned that to reach from slide 202 to arm 239it happens that the link 243 passes freely through a hole in thestandard 232. An intermediate position of the guides 236, 237 and yoke236 is shown in full lines in FIG. 2. Typical other positions of guide237 are shown in broken lines.

After passing around roller 8 the strip is bent around an inclinedstationary guide 244, see FIG. 14, thence around guide 236, passingthence across the line of transfer, around another inclined stationaryguide 245, and thence around roller 9 of the slide 11. Stationary guides247, FIGS. 11 and 12, may be provided to insure that the label carrierstrip has the desired slight arc of contact with the active surface ofthe iron. These guides are preferably of conical section with theirapexes coinciding with the common apex of iron and bottle. It will berecalled that the strip is delivered at a metered rate by the sprocketwheel 12 to roller 8 and is taken up, under tension by the takeup reel3, after passing roller 9 and a suitable idler roller..

While the label-carrying strip can run directly upon the rocking guides236 and 237, and for simplicity is so shown in some of the figures ofthe drawings, the guides 236 and 237 are advantageously provided withsliding sleeves 236a and 237a respectively to receive the strip. As astrip guide 236 or 237 is swung upwardly, its sleeve is shifted slightlytoward the pivot point 231, this easing the corresponding motion of thestrip, and the sleeve is shifted slightly away from the pivot point 231on the opposite swinging motion of the guide 236 or 237. This shiftingof the sleeve may be effected by stationary cam members 238 each havinga cam slot 239 which receives a follower roll 240 carried by the sleeve.

The inclined stationary guides 244 and 245 are preferably paralleltotthe midpositions of the respective rocking guides 236 and 237.

Theswinging motion of guides 236 and 237 will be greater thanrepresented by the swinging back and forth between the positions ofFIGS. 13 and 15, but these figures best show the relations which it isdesired that the label-carrying area of the strip shall bear to the lineof transfer (indicated by line TR). The label carrying area is indicatedin broken lines and may be consideredto be on the rear face of thestrip, i.e., in position to engage the bottle. The iron may beconsidered to be between the FIG. 13 the leading edge of the label areais at the transfer line, and in FIG. 15 the trailing edge is at thetransfer line. In going from FIG. 13 to FIG. 15, both guides 236 and 237have a component in a feeding direction, i.e., horizontally at rightangles to the transfer line TR. Guide 236 has a component downwardly, inthe direction of the larger-diameter portion of the iron. Guide 237 hasa component upwardly, in the direction of the smaller-diameter portionof the iron.

Guides 236 and 237 swing together with the yoke 23% about the pivot 231,FIG. 2. The pivotal connection be 'tween arm 239 and link 240 isadjustable, lengthwise of link 240, to permit adjustment of the zone ofmovement of the guides 236 and 237. The extent of movement of whereafterthe strip is bent around guide 237, thence the transfer line,

6 the guides is determined by the angular setting of cam block 200, FIG.4.

As indicated above, the label area is a development of the conicalsurface which it will form on the bottle. The leading and trailing edgesof the label area when at and in fact any point in the label area 236and guide 237 should therefore rock about the common apex of the conicalbottle surface and the conical surface of the iron. When the pivotalaxis 231 of the guides 236, 237 passes through this common apex, as itmay be assumed to do in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15, rocking of the guides 236,237 will in and of itself satisfy this requirement. In this case anyadditional component applied to the strip would disturb this relation.Therefore in this case, throughout the transfer in the FIG. 13 to FIG.15 sequence, the forward feeding effect of the sprocket 12 is exactlyoffset by a negative or backward feeding effect of the oscillating slide11 of FIG. 4. This may be accomplished by a suitable setting of the camblock 26.

This special relation of feeds which applies when axis 231 coincideswith the common apex may be used for bottles and irons of varioustapers, with the comrnon apex at corresponding height, by adjusting thisaxis 231 to the height of the particular common apex. Thus the standard232 may be adjustable as to height, or a standard of proper height maybe furnished to be used with an iron of particular taper.

I However, such adjustment of the axis 231 need not be made, as will nowappear.

To the extent that forward feed of the strip by the guides 236, 237 isaugmented by an additional net forward feeding effect from the action ofthe sprocket 12 combined with the action of the slide 11, this willcause the apex point about which the strip rocks to liebelow axis 231about which the guides 236, 237 rock. Accordingly when for a givenbottle taper the common apex of the bottle and iron lies below pivotdesired not to change the pivot axis, the forward feed is augmentedsufficiently so that the point about which rocking of the strip takesplace will coincide with the common apex. FIG. 16 illustrates thiscondition. In this case the negative feeding action of slide 11 is notsufficient to offset fully the feeding action of sprocket wheel 12. Camblock 26 will be set to have a lesser throw than when required to offsetfully the feeding action of sprocket wheel 12.

Similarly if the forward feed of the strip is diminished by the neteffect of the sprocket 12 and slide 11, the point about which the stripis rocked will be higher than the axis 231 about which the guides rock.FIG. 17 shows how this point of rocking and the common apex may behigher than the pivot axis 231. Here cam block 26 will be set to have agreater throw than when required to offset exactly the action ofsprocket wheel 12.

Thus, generally speaking, during the transfer of the guides236 and 237will exert a forward feeding action, the sprocket 12 will exert aforward feeding action, and the feeding action of slide 11 will benegative. The guides 236, 237 and the slide 11 have reverse movements inbetween successive transfers; the feeding action of guides 236, 237 willthen be negative during the reverse movement, and that of slide 11 willbe positive.

While the action of the slide has been referred to as offsetting more orless the action of the sprocket wheel 12 during the transfer, whereforereverse movement of the slide will supplement the feeding action of thesprocket wheel, it is equally appropriate to consider the action of theslide 11 to be that of offsetting feeding action of the rocking guides236, 237 in both directions.

For instance, the guides 236, 237 in their reverse swinging would feedthe strip backward if they acted when between guide alone. Such backwardfeeding action of the guides 236,

axis 231, and it is ferently than it does in the machines of my priorapplications, where there are no rocking guides corresponding to 236 and237 with ofisetting of their backward feeding action.

The cam 38 through a 160 sector may have a uniform motion throw of forexample 3% inches. In the 20 comprising the before and the 10 followingthis 160 the cam may have a total of another inch throw. Thus where theuniform motion 160 gives a throw of 3% inch, the full 180 gives a totalof 3% inch or 1.04 times the throw available for imparting uniformmotion.

Determination of the proper base diameter of the iron 'and the propersettings of various adjustments can best be approached by consideringthe distance M which a point on the label carrier strip opposite to thebottom of the iron will travel during the 160 movement of cam 38 withinwhich the throw of cam 38 is uniform and within which transfer takesplace. This 160 may be referred to as the uniform motion labeling cycle.As will appear, it is not all occupied by transference of image at thetransfer line.

During the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle a point on the bottle atthe level of the bottom edge of the iron should travel about to moredistance than the arcuate-length of the bottom edge of the iron. Thisdistance traveled by this point is M=D1r L where L represents therevolutions (or fraction of a revolution) of the bottle during the 160uniform motion labeling cycle, and D represents the diameter of thebottle at the level opposite to the bottom edge of the iron.

L' is given by the equation L=% J/K where J/K represents the gear ratiobetween the gears 48a and 49a in FIG. 7.

The arcuate length of the bottom edge of the iron is of coursedetermined by the corresponding dimension of the label area, being onlyslightly greater than'this dimension of the label area. If M does not,by the above calculation, properly exceed the arcuate length of thebottom edge of the iron by about 20 to 25%, this value M can be made todo so by adjusting the J/K gear ratio so as to increase or decrease Land accordingly increase or decrease M.

The significance of the A in the equation L= A J/K is that in theparticular machine illustrated, where the turret is indexed 90 by theback stroke of rack 39, the gear 480 carrying the pawl 36a can readilybe caused by a proper setting of the cam block 26' to travel exactly 90during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle, so that the rotation ofthe bottle during the uniform motion labeling cycle is caused by a Arevolution of gear 43a.

Having determined the value M and the fact that the gear ratio J/K is asuitable one, the base circumference (and from this the base diameter)of the imaginary full cone of which the iron forms a part may bedetermined from M.

Where the iron is a single iron, traveling at the same angular speed asthe cam 38, the base circumference of the full imaginary cone of theiron will be 360/160 times the value M. This follows from the fact thatthe linear speeds of the iron and strip and bottle must coin cide,during the uniform motion labeling cycle which represents only 160/ 360part of the time in which the iron is rotating. The iron must travelthrough a path 360/160 times as long as M.

A double iron, rotating at half the angular speed of the cam 38, wouldhave double the base diameter of a single iron which rotated at the sameangular speed as cam 38. Similarly with a triple iron.

As indicated above, the apex of the imaginary cone of the iron shouldcoincide with the apex of the conical surface of the bottle inlabel-receiving position.

It will be seen that in the case of a single iron the iron surface willextend through an arc in the region of 130, so that 160 will exceed thisarc by about 20 to 25%.

Most of the difference between the 160 uniform motion period of thebottle chuck, slide 11 and guides 236, 237 on the one hand, and theapproximately period of contact of the iron and label strip on the otherhand (which difference may be called over-travel) will occur at thebeginning of the period. This insures that the strip and bottle willhave fully attained their uniform motions before the iron becomesactive.

If P is the distance from the bottom edge of the iron to the apex whichis common to the iron and the conical surface to be labeled, then P andM together determine the angle V through which the label carrier stripwill be rocked during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle. Expressedin radians, V=M/P or expressed in degrees 'V=57.296M/P. To rock thestrip through this angle V, the guides 236, 237 must rock through anangle of /2V. The new third cam block 200 is provided with a dial whichwill indicate the angle of rock of the guides 236, 237, and this camblock will be set at the appropriate angle to produce thedesired angleof rock.

The travel M may be considered to have three components: S, thatcomponent due to rocking; T, that component due to the feed sprocket 12;and U, that component due to the oscillating slide 11.

Component S is determined bythe ratio between the distance from bottomof iron to pivot 231 (indicated by 'Q) and the distance'from bottom ofiron to apex (indicated by P), and this component S is given byComponent T amounts to 160/ 360 of the interval at which successivelabel areas occur on the strip. Thus assuming the label areas to recurat 10.5 inch intervals, component T will be 160/ 360 times 10.5 inchesor 4.662 inches.

Component U must then be such that the net of the three components S, Tand U will together equal M, and the cam block 26 will be setaccordingly.

Supposing that the pivot 231 and the apex coincide, Q equals P and thenreduces to S=M. Here U must be such as to exactly offset the value of T,which was assumed to be 4.662 inches. Cam block 26 would accordingly beset to impart to slide 11 a negative feeding movement of 4.662 inchesduring the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle. This would involvemovementof the slide 11 one-half this amount during this period.

Supposing that Q somewhat exceeds P so that Q/P is for example 1.1 and Sis accordingly 1.1 times M. Then U must not only offset T but must alsoofiset the excess of S over M. The negative value of U in this case willneed to be greater than in the case Where the apex and pivot coincide.

Similarly, supposing that P somewhat exceeds Q so that Q/P is forexample 0.9. Then U will not necessarily need to offset T, but will needto offset that excess by which the total of S and T exceeds M.

The cam blocks 26 and 26' will ordinarily be graduated in inches ofstroke, and if desired, the graduations may be in terms of the inches ofstroke occurring during the 160 uniform motion labeling cycle, ignoringthe fact that the total throw of cam 38 during of rotation is 1.04 timesthe throw that takes place during the uniform motion labeling cycle.

It was mentioned that if the angle of rock of the label strip is V, theangle of rock of the guides will be /2V. The strip is bent a full 180around each of the guides 236, 237, the plane occupied by the stripafter passage around such a guide being parallel to the plane occupiedby the strip before passage around the same guide, although as seen inFIG. 14 the directions of these portions of the strip in these planesare different. The course of the strip results in a multiplication ofthe rocking motion. FIGS. 13 and show how the strip rocks twice as muchas the two guides 236, 237 rock although this rocking of the strip andguides is around the same point 231.

In counterclockwise rocking in FIG. 14, the multiplica- It has beenshown above that the angle of rock of the guides 236, 237 during thetime of 160 uniform motion rotation of cam 38 is /2V where V (expressedin radians) :M/ P, M being distance traveled by a point on the labelstrip opposite the bottom edge of the die or iron and P being distancefrom bottom edge of iron to the projected common apex of iron andbottle.

Angle of rock during actual passage of the iron surface across thetransfer line will be less than /2V, because this passage will, asexplained above, occupy less than the aforesaid 160 uniform motion.

The angle through which the strip will rock while the bottom edge of theiron is in the process of crossing the transfer line may be called V.Then V=M/P where M is the arc length or extent of the bottom edge of theiron surface and P, as before, is the distance from this bottom edge tothe projected common apex. The guides 236, 237 will rock through anangle of /2V' during this passage of the bottom edge of the iron pastthe transfer line. Or, for the purpose of this equation, V=M'/P, M canbe the arc extent of the segmental surface of the iron at any givenlevel, not necessarily the bottom, and P can be the distance from thatlevel to the apex. Or, M can be the distance traveled by any given pointanywhere on the iron surface during the time there is iron surfacepresent at the transfer line and P can be the distance from that givenpoint to the apex.

I claim:

1. In a label applying machine including means for holding a supply ofcontinuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die adapted to transferlabels from the label carrying strip onto articles, means for rotatingarticles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form tomove such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die,the active surface of the die and the label receiving surface of thearticle turning about respective axes during the transfer, these axeslying in a common plane, strip guides for the label carrying strip, onesaid guide being in advance of and the other said guide being beyondsaid plane, means mounting said strip guides for rocking motion in adirection permitting progressive change in angular relation of the striprelative to the line of its intersection by said plane during thetransfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to the guides in timedrelation to the movement of the label-receiving surface, and means forestablishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle ofoperation of the rocking guides.

2. A label applying machine including means for holding a supply ofcontinuous strip carrying labels a rotatable die adapted to transferlabels from the label carrying strip onto articles, means for rotatingarticles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form tomove such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die,the active surface of the die and the label receiving surface of thearticle turning about respective axes during the transfer, these axeslying in a common plane, characterized in that axially of the die thereis a progressive decrease in radius of the active surface thereof, andthe machine in- 10 cludes strip guides for the label carrying strip, onesaid guide being in advance of and the other said guide being beyondsaid plane, means mounting said strip guides for rocking motion in adirection permitting the strip to swing relative to its intersection bysaid plane, that portion of the strip approaching said plane having acomponent of swing in the direction of the larger radius portion of thedie and that portion of the strip leaving said plane having a componentof swing in the direction of the smaller radius portion of the dieduring the transfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to theguides in timed relation to the movement of the label-receiving surface,and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the stripper cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

3. A label applying machine including means for holding a supply ofcontinuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die for transferringlabels from the label carrying strip to articles, means for rotatingarticles of the type having a label-receiving surface of conical form tomove such label-receiving surface past the line of action of the die,the active surface portion of said die being a part of a conicalsurface, first and second label strip guides, the label ,strip extendingfrom the first said guide to the die and thence to the second saidguide, means mounting said label strip guides for rocking motion, therocking motion of each of the guides having a component in astrip-feeding direction during the transfer, and the rocking of thefirst said strip guide having a component in the direction of the largeradius portion of the die and the rocking of the second strip guidehaving a component in the direction of the smaller radius portion of thedie, during the transfer, means for imparting such rocking motion to theguides in timed relation to the movement of the labelreceiving surface,and means for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the stripper cycle of operation of the rocking guides.

4. A label applying machine as claimed in claim 3 in eluding a furtherguide with respect to which the second said guide moves and whichdirects the label strip around the second said guide with anapproximately wrap so as to multiply the feeding component resultingfrom rocking of said second guide.

5. A label applying machine as claimed in claim 3 including asubstantially constant speed strip-metering device determining theoverall feed of the label strip and adapted to relate such overall feedto the frequency of machine cycles, and a label strip oscillator locallymodifying the speed of the strip to locally offset in whole or in partthe feed as determined by the metering device.

6. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a labelcarrying strip to articles having conical surface areas, including meansfor holding a supply of continuous strip carrying labels, a rotatabledie having a segmental conical surface area, means mounting the articleand die for rotation around respective axes of their conical surfaceareas, the axes being inclined, means for so rotating the article anddie rocking guides engaging the label strip in advance of and beyond theplace of engagement of the strip and die during transfer, and means forrocking the guides, during presentation of the die surface at thetransfer line, through substantially one-half the angle represented bythe arc extent of the die surface at a given level divided by thedistance from said level to the projected apex of the die surface, andmeans for establishing a predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip percycle of operation of the rocking guides.

7. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a labelcarrying strip onto articles of the type having a surface comprising apart of a conical surface, including means for holding a supply ofcontinuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die having an activesegmental surface portion also comprising part of a conical surface,means for rotating the die, means for moving a label-receiving surfaceof the article past the line of action of the die, means for carryingthe label carrying strip between the article and die in contact with theactive surface portion of the die during the transfer, means for causinga portion of the traveling continuous strip in the region of the die toswing about a point representing the projected apex of the activesurface portion of the die, and means for establishing a predeterminedlengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation of thestrip-swinging means.

8. A label applying machine for transferring labels from a labelcarrying strip onto articles of the type having a surface comprising apart of a conical surface, including means for holding a supply ofcontinuous strip carrying labels, a rotatable die having an activesegmental surface portion also comprising part of a conical surface,means for rotating the die, means for moving a labelreceiving surface ofthe article past the line of action of the die, means for adjustablymounting the die so that 12 for dies of various taper the projected apexof the active surface of the die can coincide with the projected apex ofthe conical surface portion of the article, while the active surface ofthe die presses the label carrying strip against the article, means forcarrying the label carrying strip between the articles and die incontinuous form, means for causing the label strip to swing about saidprojected apex of the die in one direction during the transfer and inthe opposite direction in between transfers, and means for establishinga predetermined lengthwise feed of the strip per cycle of operation ofthe strip-swinging means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FloodApr. 25, 1961

1. IN A LABEL APPLYING MACHING INCLUDING MEANS FOR HOLDING A SUPPLY OFCONTINUOUS STRIP CARRYING LABELS, A ROTATABLE DIE ADAPTED TO TRANSFERLABELS FROM THE LABEL CARRYING STRIP ONTO ARTICLES, MEANS FOR ROTATINGARTICLES OF THE TYPE HAVING A LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE OF CONICAL FORM TOMOVE SUCH LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE PAST THE LINE OF ACTION OF THE DIE,THE ACTIVE SURFACE OF THE DIE AND THE LABEL RECEIVING SURFACE OF THEARTICLE TURNING ABOUT RESPECTIVE AXES DURING THE TRANSFER, THESE AXESLYING AIN A COMMON PLANE, STRIP GUIDES FOR THE LABEL CARRYING STRIP, ONESAID GUIDE BEING IN ADVANCE FOR AND THE OTHER SAID GUIDE BEING BEYONDSAID PLANE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID STRIP GUIDES FOR ROCKING MOTION IN ADIRECTION PERMITTING PROGRESSIVE CHANGE IN ANNULAR RELATION OF THE STRIPRELATIVE TO THE LINE OF ITS INTERSECTION BY SAID PLANE DURING THETRANSFER, MEANS FOR IMPARTING SUCH ROCKING MOTION TO THE GUIDES IN TIMEDRELATION TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE LABEL-RECEIVING SURFACE, AND MEANS FORESTABLISHING A PREDETERMINED LENGTHWISE FEED OF THE STRIP PER CYCLE OFOPERATION OF THE ROCKING GUIDES.